INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[lilmizscareall]

Until this last time, I have been buying all of my chicken food at Central Indiana Organics in Lebanon. They sell all kinds of animal feed, not just chickens, and not just organic. The kind they make is called Fertile Fields. I usually buy 3 bags at a time and its lasted about 8 1/2 weeks in the winter and longer in the summer. It is more dusty than the crumbles were, but I've been adding warm water to it this winter and it is also cutting down on the waste. The food smells like something you would use to make Herb Bread with and I'm really interested in learning how to ferment the feed to keep costs somewhat lower. Sorry, I can't figure out how to make it rotate. I bought the Purina Flock Raiser at Tractor Supply for $15.99 one week ago and its almost gone. This one didn't smell like much of anything. I know that I will never make the organic feed as cost effective as regular feed, but I can live with that. Here are their prices for 50 lb bags: Chick Starter $27.30 Flock Grower $26.00 Layer $25.85 Soy-Free $37.00

That's what I buy here in Indy! I get it from http://www.agrarianindy.com, it costs a bit more than what you're paying, but since the store is driving up to get it, I guess they are covering their gas and other expenses. One day, I'd like to be able to do my own feed too. I like her recipe and procedure here: http://www.gardenbetty.com/2012/06/garden-bettys-homemade-whole-grain-chicken-feed/ Annie

 

[SallyinIndiana]

So ive been talking to my local feed mill about custom feed. They can mix me 1000# of 20% protein for $230 if i provide the bags. Only thing is I cant get it with animal protein which id rather have. But it figures out to around $11.50 a bag which im paying $14.50 a bag now for 20%. Ill probably start doing this and orderbit by the half ton. Just gotta figure out how to store it now lol

sounds like a great deal. I would take in 30 of the Purina style bags so they don't have to overfill them and have plenty of room to tie the open end closed.

As for storage, a dry place mice don't go and a cat loves to sleep is my recommendation.

 

[chick rookie]

She may be looking for small pieces of rock or something. To help digest, whatever that is called but my chickens do that all the time. Is she keeping it down?

yep she kept it down thinking about giving her a little bit more. I just put some chick grit in with her and she eat a bit of that and is back to laying down again. am going to put her back with her eggs, but she still has not pooped, sorry I know gross

 

[SallyinIndiana]

a semi nice deal on a used incubator.
http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/for/4288900551.html
beats new but still more than the 50% of new price i prefer to pay for used. I'm posting here in hopes that one of you all buy it as I'm trying to save up for a cabinet style incubator.

 

[FlockMaster-614]

yep she kept it down thinking about giving her a little bit more. I just put some chick grit in with her and she eat a bit of that and is back to laying down again. am going to put her back with her eggs, but she still has not pooped, sorry I know gross 

That's good, I hope all goes well.
Don't worry, for my sick chicken Scarlet I'm hoping she continues to use the, ahem, ladies room.
Just keep an eye on her I suppose but I don't know what could be wrong. Maybe she is just being mean and ornery?

 

[ChickCrazed]

I am really bummed. The cochins I ordered are not going to be ready until 1/29, and then the ages wouldn't have worked with Brad's Maran chicks that I am getting this weekend so I had to cancel the order. Anyone have any other chicks available this weekend that they are interested in selling? I'd like to get at least a couple more to brood with the Marans. I REALLY want a female cochin and some olive eggers but have not had any luck!!!!

 

[racinchickins]

Okay guys I have a mystery to solve. I have had my chickens in my big barn since the cold snap. They have a nice little coop area, and their daylight is pretty much the same. DH goes out in the morning before work and flips the light on, and then when I get up I open all the doors. When we first put them in I was getting 6 eggs a day. For the past 3 days, I only got 1, and so far today nothing. I have literally searched high and low in there, and found no hidden laying areas. Whats the deal??? I have 8 girls who lay, a cochin who still has teenagers at her heels, and hasn't layed since, well maybe ever, not sure, and 2 little 4 month old girls. So I should be getting at the most 8 eggs a day. They are scratching around in the nesting boxes. Just leaving after a few minutes to go about their business. It's weird.

You could very possibly be seeing the results of the stress from the cold spell. My layers have not recovered from it. I went from 3-5 eggs a day down to 1 or 2 and as of yesterday, it hasn't improved.

Now my American Bresse pen didn't seem affected at all. I had one pullet laying, and she has laid an egg at least every other day through the whole thing. I had another start laying on the coldest day and is still going, and a third started laying yesterday. I got 3 eggs out of their pen yesterday and only 2 out of my layer pen with 14 laying hens of various breeds.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I am really bummed. The cochins I ordered are not going to be ready until 1/29, and then the ages wouldn't have worked with Brad's Maran chicks that I am getting this weekend so I had to cancel the order. Anyone have any other chicks available this weekend that they are interested in selling? I'd like to get at least a couple more to brood with the Marans. I REALLY want a female cochin and some olive eggers but have not had any luck!!!!

I'm not really on the way to Brad's but you can head south on 465 the east side after Brads then head north on the west side of 465 to get back to your house. It would be a drive. I have Black sex linked and RIR 1 week old chicks.

 

[chick rookie]

Aww I'm Sorry Chick Rookie, I have no idea what might be going on but I hope your broodie gets better. How long til the eggs hatch? Is she acting relatively normal? Is it just that she isn't eating or coming off the box?

I don't know what to tell you I have never done that before so I'm sure someone else can give you some good advice

thanks but u missed some stuff... lol will give u the short story, I have a hen that went broody and I couldn't get her out of it, I noticed while trying that she was very thin and weak, started giving he sm soaked in water soft meals, she was eating as long as I put it next to her in her spot. I brought her in the house so the other hens would leave her alone. was doing fine yesterday ( but for not getting up and eating on her own ) I'm going to ChickCrazed this weekend to pick up chickens and she offered my a few chicks to put under my hen and see if that does it for her. so I put 3 eggs under her just to make the egg/chick switch easier and hope it works, I get some hen raised chicks and the hen gets her babies.
but this morning and all day up till now I have not been able to get her to eat or drink any water.

I have 1 week old chicks if you want to make the drive and switch out chicks for eggs. But to me it sounds like it is beyond saving the hen. And other than pet status, I'm not sure why you would want to save a mean hen that is starving herself. Maybe I missed it and she is a show chicken or breeding quality hen. Still I get rid of meanies.

I thank you for the offer but will be doing that with ChickCrazed this weekend. just got to keep hen going till then, if not I have a brooder from last year I can use to raise the chicks myself, but I want to save this hen mainly cause I'm a softy and she is a rescue hen and has had a hard first year of life. I feel she deserves a chance.
I normally find other homes for mean chickens too but .... just don't want to give up on her just yet.

 

[goatluver20]

Mother2hens did you post an add on craigslist for some jubilee orpingtons?